Nexus 4 hitting retail shelves in Australia come Feb. 1

If you're one of the many still trying to get your hands on a Nexus 4, and happen to live in Australia, we have some good news. Starting February 1, the phone that plays hard to get will be available in retail stores across the land of Oz. The 16GB version will set you back $499 AUD (that's about $525 US) without any pesky contracts or commitments. Of course, you can also choose to get it bundled with an Optus plan for just $35 AUD (about $37 USD) a month.

The pricing isn't bad compared to retail on other unlocked phones, but is still marked up a bit over the Google Play price of $349 US. It's a case of demand setting the market price, and it's still cheaper than eBay.

Where are these devices? Are they stockpiling for foreign carrier launches and T-mobile(USA)? This is pretty ridiculous on Google's part. I feel at this point they should realize that Android is very popular and people want it pure without vendor skins and carrier restrictions.

Just a quick note to mention that the Aussie Play Store pricing was a bit higher than the US. The 16GB was $399 from the Play Store (while it was available for 20 minutes at least). Add on the Play Store delivery cost and it's only around $70 more than the Play Store price. Not as bad as it might seem at first glance.

Unless I hear something reliable between now and Feb 1 about imminent stock in the Play Store, I think I might be taking this option!

The whole thing that appealed to me initially was the amount of phone you got for the price. Now, with an inflated price, you get less phone for your dollars, and the product is no longer appealing to me.